"Love you more. Miss you more. Your T. xxx" Jen smiled as she read Tilly's reply and sunk into her hot bath. The water covered her body and she closed her eyes imagining the warmth was coming from Tilly.
BANG BANG BANG! Jen jumped at the noise on the door. "Jen. Hurry up would ya?!" Sineads scouse tones caused Jen to wince.
"What?!" Jen rolled her eyes. Even in her imagination she couldn't get a moment alone with Tilly.
"I need to get ready I'm going out!" Sinead banged on the door again. "Uggggh!" She screamed and stomped off.
Jen climbed out of the bath. She couldn't be bothered with another one of Sineads strops and so decided she'd give in. Just this once.
Once Jen was dried off she wrapped her hair in a towel, slipped on a bathrobe and made her way downstairs. Just in time to hear Sinead slagging her off to Diane.
"I swear she does it on purpose Mum!" Sinead was desperately trying to get support from Diane who was busting herself in the kitchen trying her best to ignore her.
"My ears burning?" Jen smirked as she walked into the kitchen.
"Oh finally!" Sinead scowled.
"What's the mad rush anyway?" Jen wound her up a little bit more.
"An impromptu party. George just text. If you must know everything." Sinead smiled sarcastically.
"Hang on I thought George was at Tilly's?" Jen quizzed an irritated Sinead.
"Yeah and that's where the party is! Apparently some new girl at college organised it. Lexie. She's meant to be a right laugh"
"So Tilly and Lexie are getting drunk?!" Jen realised her tone was suspiciously panicked.
"What's it to you?" Sinead frowned confused.
"Yeah Jen. What's it to you?" Diane suddenly stopped what she was doing and raised her eyebrows knowingly in Jens direction.
Shit. Think fast. Jen thought to herself for a moment. "Nothing it's just they're meant to be working on an art assignment that's all" Jen shrugged.
"Oh barrel of laughs you are!" Sinead stomped upstairs to the finally free bathroom.
"Oi Jen. What's all that about? You're not..." Diane started but Jen cut her off.
"No. I'm not seeing her again. Like I said its just they've got an important art assignment to be getting on with" Jen waved off Diane's accurate accusation "anyway I'm off to bed. Night"
"Bed? It's only half 7.." Diane protested but Jen was already up the stairs.
Back at Tilly's and a few invites had turned into a few more, and a few more... Suddenly Tilly's house was full.
"I don't know half of these people George?!" Tilly shouted over the music.
"Oh come on... You do..." George lied as he looked around the room not recognising hardly anyone either.
Tilly goes outside for some fresh air. She sits on her doorstep.
"Cool party..." Lexie steps out of the darkness, takes a drag of her cig and swigs vodka straight from the bottle.
"Yeah... I don't know any of these people Lexie. Did you invite them?" Tilly is annoyed. She hates to relinquish control.
"No I didn't. I don't know anyone in Chester yet do I?" Lexie shrugged sitting down next to Tilly. "Word gets out doesn't it? It's no biggie. You may as well enjoy yourself now that everyone's here" Lexie offered Tilly the vodka bottle.
Tilly hesitated, looked back at the chaos going on in her house and took the vodka bottle. "What the hell" she took a big swig and gagged. Lexie watched and laughed at the disgust on Tilly's face.
"That nice huh?" Lexie took the vodka back. Tilly looked away embarrassed. She wasn't a big drinker, never had been.
"You're a good girl aren't you?" Lexie eyed Tilly suspiciously. "Play by the rules, never just go wild... How's that working out for you?"
Tilly shrugged. It wasn't working out for her. She was lucky in the fact that her and Jen were on good terms but heart broken that they had to wait to be together. She twisted her promise ring around and thought about Jen for a moment.
"Exactly. Just be Tilly." Lexie looked Tilly in the eyes. "Beauty isn't organised its spontaneous and unruly. Just be"
Tilly met Lexie's stare. Her eyes were so intense. Lined with layers and layers of smokey eyeliner that made the green around her pupils pop.
"Tilly there you are!" Sinead opened the door followed by Maddie.
"Babes! Cool party" Maddie pulled Tilly up and hugged her.
"Yeah where did this come from you little minx? Not like you at all!" Sinead joined in the hug. Tilly caught Lexie smirking at this. Damn, Tilly hated Lexie knowing that she'd made the right judgement about her.
"Oh hello. Who's this?" Maddie and Sinead looked Lexie up and down.
"This is Lexie. She started college today." Tilly smiled innocently.
"Hey" Lexie waved.
Back at Jens she was sitting on her bed trying to concentrate on marking work. She couldn't get into it. She had a niggling in the pit of her stomach. The thought of Tilly having a party really bothered her. She knew she had no right to be annoyed, it's not like Tilly had done anything wrong but still Jen didn't like it. She trusted Tilly one hundred percent but it still didn't stop her from feeling jealous. She grabbed her phone and re read the last text from Tilly. She'd already read it so many times "love you more. Miss you more. Your T. xxx" Jen smiled. She was being ridiculous. She kissed her promise ring quickly and got under her covers. Excited to see Tilly tomorrow.
The party was now in full swing. Tilly was finally enjoying herself and letting go dancing with Maddie, George and Sinead. Lexie was sat surrounded by boys all paying her their full attention. Tilly couldn't help but smile at the lack if interest she was returning them. Maddie noticed this too. "Your new friend loves herself a bit doesn't she?" She oozed jealousy as she watched the boys all trying to impress Lexie. Tilly rolled her eyes choosing to ignore Maddies bitchiness and grabbed her hands twirling her around the living room, so drunk that she didn't care she was breaking some of the house decor in the process. She felt a tap on the shoulder and when she turned around was met with those intense green eyes.
"I'm off Tills. Wicked party" Lexie nodded and turned to leave.
"Wait... You're going? The party's just getting started!" Tilly slurred, clearly more affected by the vodka than the cool and collected Lexie.
Lexie walked back to Tilly and whispered. "Rule number one. Always leave then wanting more" she stepped back and resumed a louder tone. "See you all at college tomorrow!" She smiled and left.
"Did you see that? She totally fancies Tilly" Sinead gushed to a less than impressed Maddie.
"You've got more taste than that right Tills?" Maddie smiled grabbing Tilly.
"What you on about?" Tilly struggled to stand up straight.
"As if! You know what we're talking about. Your new girlfriend. Lexie" Sinead teased.
"Oh don't be daft!" Tilly tutted. Lexie wasn't interested in her and Tilly definitely wasn't interested in Lexie. She felt sick when Sinead had said new girlfriend. Jen was her girlfriend. She wished she could turn the music off and shout it at the top of her voice for all there to hear. Deciding against that she pulled out her phone to text her instead. "Lovew yoou sp much Jen. Soo bery much it's hurts. Cxxxxxcxc" she proudly pressed send and carried on dancing.
Jen stirred as she heard a loud bang downstairs. She picked up her phone to check the time. It was 4.15am. She opened up her text from Tilly. So incoherent that wasn't like her to get so drunk... She hardly drank. Jen could hear Sinead in the phone downstairs. She slipped in her dressing gown and made her way down. She felt like she wanted to know what happened at Tilly's party. Desperate to know even.
"Oh gotta go!" Sinead quickly hung up as she heard footsteps on the stairs. She looked relieved when she saw Jen and not her Mum.
"Sorry did I wake you?" A drunk Sinead giggled not even pretending to mean her apology.
"No. I often stay up till this time when I have work at 8 the next day.." Jen spat sarcastically. She was annoyed at the text she'd got from Tilly. Well the text was nice if it would have been readable but she hated how much of a state Tilly must have been in. Still she forced a smile "so how was the party?"
"It was boss yeah. Tilly's in a right state and was puking up in the garden when I left! Maddie reckoned it was too much vodka but I dunno you know? I reckon she's love sick" Sinead laughed even though Maddie had told her the first time she'd made that joke that it was rubbish.
Jen felt a flush of panic. Love sick? Had they read her texts? Also she was being sick yet Sinead had just left her? Nice.
"Maddie doesn't like her but I reckon they'd make a nice couple you know?"
"Who?" Jen dreaded the answer before she'd even asked the question.
"Lexie. She's dead cool." Sinead yawned and made her way upstairs.
Jen felt like someone had punched her in the stomach. She waited until Sinead was out of sight and picked up her keys. She needed to check Tilly was ok but also she wanted to reassure herself that Lexie wasn't still there...